Homemade Crescent Rolls
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Homemade Crescent Rolls are super soft, buttery, fluffy, and so delicious served warm right out of the oven. Made from scratch with only a few basic ingredients. They are the perfect rolls to go with any meal and can be served at all holidays and occasions!
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homemade crescent rolls
Homemade Crescent Rolls are soft, buttery, fluffy, and made completely from scratch with simple pantry staples. These rolls have an extra rich flavor thanks to butter in the dough, layered inside each roll, and brushed on top after baking, making them extra delicious.
Crescent Rolls are always a hit when I bring them to the dinner table and always get eaten so fast, even my little ones can’t get enough! I used to love the store bought ones until I found out what the ingredients really were…. these are SO much better, better for you and easy to whip up.
They are the perfect addition to any occasion, dinner or holiday. Serve them fresh and warm from the oven with butter, honey, jam or enjoy them plain.
Why You’ll Love This crescent roll Recipe
key ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour when measuring it. Be sure not to scoop it out of the bag using the measuring cup. This way, you won’t accidentally measure out too much.
- Butter: The star ingredient to buttery rolls! We use salted butter but if you use unsalted butter, be sure to add a teaspoon and a half of salt to the dry ingredients.
- Active dry yeast: Helps the rolls rise. You could also use Rapid Instant Yeast for a quicker rise time.
- Milk: Whole or low-fat milk can be used. The warm milk is used to activate the yeast and create rich and soft dough.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is used to sweet the dough.
- Egg: A whole egg will add structure to the dough. Be sure to beat the egg a little before adding it to the bowl.
how to make homemade crescent rolls
Proof yeast: In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add warm water and yeast and whisk together. Let sit for a few minutes to get foamy (blooming process).
Heat milk and melt butter: In a small saucepan or in a microwavable bowl, add milk and 1/2 cup of butter and heat to warm and melt butter. Let cool until it’s about 110 degrees F (or like warm bath water).
Add liquid ingredients: Add the milk and butter mixture, sugar and egg to the mixing bowl and mix to combine.
Form dough: Add the flour and salt and knead with the dough hook for a few minutes or until the dough is smooth and clean. If it seems sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until the consistency is smooth and doesn’t stick to your finger. If you don’t have a stand mixer you could use your hands and knead the dough on a well-floured surface.
Let crescent roll dough rise: Transfer the dough ball to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a warm damp towel and let dough rise for an 1 – 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in size. The time will vary depending on the humidity and temperature in your home. To make your towel warm, place the damp towel in the microwave for 30 seconds
Assemble into rolls: Divide the dough in half and place each round on a lightly floured surface. Roll each dough ball out to into a round 14 inch diameter. Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of butter and brush on top of each rolled out dough ball. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut 12 wedges in a crescent shape on each circle. Roll up each wedge starting from the wide end to form a crescent. Be sure to tuck the pointy end underneath the roll.
Let rolls rise: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and place 12 rolls on each sheet. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place to get puffy for another 30-60 minutes.
Bake, butter and enjoy! When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and then brush the tops with more melted butter (optional) and bake for another 2-3 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown. Cool for a few minutes and then serve immediately. Enjoy!
crescent roll variations & tips
- Garlic Butter Coating: Brush the top of the rolls with a garlic butter right after they get out of the oven.
- Seed topping: Top the rolls was sesame seeds, poppy seeds or EBTB seasoning.
- Fresh herbs: Add fresh herbs such as parsley, rosemary, Italian seasoning, thyme or chives to the dough.
- Warm milk: Make sure the milk is warm, but not too hot. This will help activate the yeast.
- Don’t skip the rise: This will make the rolls extra soft and fluffy- the best texture!
- Sweet rolls: Add a cinnamon sugar mixture on top and into the dough before shaping.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt: A little flaky salt on top adds the perfect finishing touch.
- Cheesy Rolls: Roll a little shredded cheddar, mozzarella, or parmesan cheese into the dough before shaping.
make ahead crescent rolls
If you want to save a few hours during the day, you can make these homemade rolls the day or night before.
After completing steps 1-6, cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge.
When you are ready to bake the Crescent Rolls, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature so they can rise for the second time. Make sure to cover them with a warm damp towel.
Once they are at room temperature bake accordingly to the instructions in the recipe.
leftovers & storage
Store on the counter: You can store cooled leftover Crescent Rolls in a large ziplock freezer bag or an airtight container for up to 3 days. To warm, place in the microwave for a few seconds or place in a 300 degree F oven for a few minutes.
Freezer-friendly: You can freeze baked dinner rolls by placing them in a ziplock bag once they have baked and cooled completely. Try to remove as much air as you can from the ziplock bag. You can freeze these rolls for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw the rolls in the refrigerator or at room temperature on your counter. Reheat in a 300 degree F oven until warmed, about 10 minutes.
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Homemade Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water warmed at 110 degrees F
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup salted butter divided
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 whole large egg slightly beaten
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, add warm water and yeast and whisk together. Let sit for a few minutes to get foamy (blooming process).
- In a small saucepan or in a microwavable bowl, add milk and 1/2 cup of butter and heat to warm and melt butter. Let cool until it's about 110 degrees F (or like warm bath water).
- Add the milk and butter mixture, sugar and egg to the mixing bowl and mix just to combine.
- Add the flour and salt and knead with the dough hook for a few minutes or until the dough is smooth and clean. If it seems sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until the consistency is smooth and doesn't stick to your finger. If you don't have a stand mixer you could use your hands and knead the dough on a well-floured surface.
- Transfer the dough ball to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a warm damp towel and let dough rise for an 1 – 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in size. The time will vary depending on the humidity and temperature in your home. To make your towel warm, place the damp towel in the microwave for 30 seconds
- Divide the dough in half and place each round on a lightly floured surface. Roll each dough ball out to into a round 14 inch diameter. Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of butter and brush on top of each rolled out dough ball. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut 12 wedges on each circle. Roll up each wedge starting from the wide end to form a crescent. Be sure to tuck the pointy end underneath the roll.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and place 12 rolls on each sheet. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel and let rise to get puffy for another 30-60 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and then brush the tops with more melted butter (optional) and bake for another 2-3 minutes or until the tops are a light golden brown. Cool for a few minutes and then serve immediately. Enjoy!
